Word: polanski
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Roman Polanski saga has played out like something out of a Polanski movie. His misdeeds of decades past have followed him to the present day in a strange fashion. Despite the assertions by L.A. prosecutors to the contrary, it is likely that, had Polanski’s case not been such a high-profile one, the pursuit of this beleaguered film director would have ended a long time ago. His extradition and arrest do not represent a glorious triumph for the administration of justice everywhere; the Polanski case was hardly an example of finesse and swiftly administered justice. Indeed, Polanski?...
...none of this changes the fact that Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl. Polanski did not allow himself to be properly sentenced for this crime, instead choosing to flee the country on the fear that his transgression would be met with a prison sentence. Justice was never served, and it does not have an expiration date. The administration of justice may be 30 years late and may only be taking place now because of Polanski’s celebrity, but this is merely a reflection of the unfortunate fact that not everyone who escapes justice...
From a broad perspective, little may be accomplished by jailing Polanski—his victim has expressed no desire to see Polanski punished, the arrest comes decades after the fact, and Polanski has by all known accounts not committed any other transgressions. But the idea that this man should be given a free pass simply because he is a celebrity or because his punishment is overdue is offensive to the idea that all individuals are to be treated as equals under the law. Roman Polanski’s life has been difficult and his achievements great, but he should have...
...Polanski's attempts to appeal his arrest and extradition to the United States fail and he is forced back to Los Angeles, he could face up to four years in state prison for the initial crime he pleaded guilty to before fleeing the United States. He could also face a maximum of three additional years served consecutively if the courts decide to charge him under California state penal code 3059 for leaving the state without permission. "I think it would be very unlikely that he would get that, but that's probably what's possible," says Levenson...
When asked what charges Polanski might face, Gibbons of the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a terse e-mail, "Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. He fled the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Superior Court before the court could sentence him. When he is returned to Los Angeles, he will appear before the court for sentencing. There is really nothing else to discuss because this is a matter that is between the fugitive and the court...